ESQ-1 AA battery mod- best AA battery to use?

[Patchman]

I'm going to do the AA battery mod on this Ensoniq replacing the soldered CR2023. I was thinking of going with the Eveready Ultimate Lithium which is advertised as a long lasting, and for the most part, non-leaking battery. The DIY youtube videos are somewhat dated (from what I have seen) and battery technology continuously advances. I was wondering if anyone has experience with double A's in this regard and can suggest a good AA with a proven track record.

Thanks- Rich

[synthRodriguez]

The typical lithium cells you can buy in retail stores are better suited for applications that have a high drain demand followed by a recovery period like a camera flash, toys, etc. and are not the same as lithium coin cells. The alkalines are good for slow drain applications and will outperform lithiums in that regard. If you keep on top of a replacement schedule you should never had to worry about leakage, but if that concern trumps all others, it could play into selection criteria.

I use Christmas vacation as my trigger to inspect the batteries in smoke detectors, my old arcade games and the couple of synths I have that use replaceable AA cells. Nothing I've found can beat Duracell and is what I always use.

[Patchman]

Thanks! Exactly the kind of insight I was looking for. I use St. Patrick's Day to oil my B3 and Leslie's, so I'll put a little shamrock on the Synth too! It is a sealed battery holder located far enough from the PCB, but $hit happens.

Rich

[justin_havu]

I modded mine with a CR123A battery holder. Haven't had any problems with it at all.